Pricing Job for Mosaic Tiling

[Varley]

I would up it a little for mosaics, that would be around my price for a one day kitchen splashback with ordinary ceramics, mosaics are a bit more fiddly. Totally up to yourself and what you feel comfortable with generally, but I always charge more for mosaics.

 

[GazLC81]

Thanks for the advice chaps, any tips on getting the mosiacs spot on?

 

[guy1976]

tell the customer you can only get the tiles as smooth as the walls they are going on

 

[GazLC81]

tell the customer you can only get the tiles as smooth as the walls they are going on

Yeah good point!

Think i may have underpriced this one! If i get it i'll just have to do it and put it down as experience!

He had one guy out and he said he can't do mosaics. Someone pretty experienced i would gues as he has been advertising for a while.

Is it really that much more difficult? It not rocket science is it?

 

[Varley]

It's not more difficult, just more fiddly and time consuming, some can be awkward to cut, require regular cleaning to make sure no adhesive is pushing through, you'll soon see :wink_smile:

 

[tjsmiler]

I always put £100 on for tanking minimum..... tanking is a great earner mate...... £150 day rate even if you are only there half a day. Mosaics £250 a day minimum, but hey that's just me lol

TJ

 

[Fekin]

My first tiling job was mosaics in my kitchen, their not difficult to do, just as everyone else has said more time consuming really.

One good tip that someone on here once said, if you're going to be doing mosaics a bit in the large tile format it is useful to have or make up a flat square wooden board, say 30cm x 30cm, attach on a cut to size piece of carpet or similar as a cussion and stick a handle on the back to use to flattern out the mosaic tiles level.
Nothing like trying to apply even pressure on large floppy mosaics using your hands and trying to get them even.
Cutting them on a wetcutter or even snips I find easy to do, but the longest part is just cleaning the adhesive away from the millions of grout lines that come seeping through if you press on too firmly.

So really, charge more for mosaics mainly for the labour of cleaning them up and grouting than anything.

 

[devonmark]

My first tiling job was mosaics in my kitchen, their not difficult to do, just as everyone else has said more time consuming really.

One good tip that someone on here once said, if you're going to be doing mosaics a bit in the large tile format it is useful to have or make up a flat square wooden board, say 30cm x 30cm, attach on a cut to size piece of carpet or similar as a cussion and stick a handle on the back to use to flattern out the mosaic tiles level.
Nothing like trying to apply even pressure on large floppy mosaics using your hands and trying to get them even.
Cutting them on a wetcutter or even snips I find easy to do, but the longest part is just cleaning the adhesive away from the millions of grout lines that come seeping through if you press on too firmly.

So really, charge more for mosaics mainly for the labour of cleaning them up and grouting than anything.

nice bit of advice..

 

[hetty]

Great thread about pricing here - with regard to mosaics there are some great books explaining the indirect method which make applying mosaics to walls somewhat easier - pasting the tesserae upside down on brown paper first, allow to dry, and then pushing them onto the adhesive - wet paper to remove it then grout. Something like that - am new to this so haven't actually tried it yet. Yes, mosaics are time consuming but the effects stunning.
----
Sorry, 'grandmother' and 'suck eggs' come to mind - you lot know more than me.

 

[clarke]

Mosaics are ok as long as you dont try to blast them up like regular tiles. I would go at least £150 a day plus the materials, or around £40-£50 per metre. Recently did a fully tiled bathroom (21m) in 15mm glass mosaics, took ages but looked good at the end, the key to adhesive trouble is to use BAL Mosaic Fix and a proper mosaic trowel as the notches are shallow so the sticky wont squeeze through the joints. Definately set out carefully to minimize cuts coz they take ages! I always use a spare grout float to pat them onto the adhesive to get them all nice and level too.

 

[GazTech]

Mosaics are ok as long as you dont try to blast them up like regular tiles. I would go at least £150 a day plus the materials, or around £40-£50 per metre. Recently did a fully tiled bathroom (21m) in 15mm glass mosaics, took ages but looked good at the end, the key to adhesive trouble is to use BAL Mosaic Fix and a proper mosaic trowel as the notches are shallow so the sticky wont squeeze through the joints. Definately set out carefully to minimize cuts coz they take ages! I always use a spare grout float to pat them onto the adhesive to get them all nice and level too.

Your an old hand there Clarky:wink_smile: good advice to all and the best possible way to do the job

 

[DHTiling]

spot on clarky mate.................................

 

[felix]

I've just quoted for 300 x 300 natural stone mosaic. Its for a kitchen and its 34 sq m in total. I've priced it at £1400 which works out at £40 per sq m including materials. I'm hoping to clear £1000 after costs. Do I have any chance doing that. It's my first mosaic job and it was only covered briefly in my course, so I'm a little nervous. It looks like setting out is going to be really important because there is going to be loads of cuts. 3 box sections and loads of little alcoves etc. Hoping to do the job in six days

 

[grumpygrouter]

Is that a misprint Felix 300x300 should that be 30x30? or is that the full sheet size?

 

[felix]

Sorry full sheet is 300 x 300. Mosaic is 98 x 48